Air treating apparatus



Aug. 15, 1950 Filed March 51, 1945 A. Y. DODGE AIR TREATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 15, 1950 A. Y. DODGE 2,519,023

' AIR TREATING APPARATUS Filed March 51, 1945 2 Shc's-Sheec 2 Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED PATENT OFFICE f.

inn TREATIN APPARATUS U Q AdielY. Dodge, Rockford, Ill.

Application March 31, 1945;, Serial- No. 585,866

This invention relates to airtreating: apparatus and. more particularly toapparatus for dehumidifying air or like gases.

Oneof the objects of the invention is to pro vide air treating apparatus which will remove both wetcr condensed vapors and dry vapors from the air:

Another object is to provide air treating ap paratus in which the air iscooled and is dehumidified by removalr ofj'ccndensate and dry vapor thereform.

Still another object is to provide airtreating apparatus. which is capable-of continuous operation without attention and without employing any; movable. parts other thanadjustable control carves.

The aboveand other objects and advantages of the invention willbe more readily apparent from the following description; when read incennection with, the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an axial section with parts in elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1.

, According to the present invention, air or like gases may be dehumidified by mechanical treatment to remove both condensate or other liquid particles and dry vapors therefrom. In treating air according to the invention, a current of air is caused to whirl in a substantially helical spiral pathand may be cooled during the whirling operation. Condensate or other liquid particles carried by the air being considerably heavier than the air will be thrown outwardly and may be collected and conducted away separately from the air. Dry water vapor, having only about one-half of the density of dry air, will travel to the center portion of the spiral and may be withdrawn separately from the air, the air being removed adjacent the outer part of the spiral path.

Under comparable atmospheric conditions at a temperature of about 100 C. and a pressure of '76 centimeters of mercury the density of dry air is about .00102 and of water vapor is about .000596 so that a relatively sharp separation can be obtained without requiring extremely high centrifugal velocities or long retention times.

The apparatus shown comprises a vertically elongated casing IU of relatively small diameter at its top diverging to a portion of maximum diameter and then converging rapidly to its lower end.

4 Claims. ('01.; 183-32 The casing is preferably covered by a 55 jacket I i through which cooling medium may be circulated by means of pipes 12- and is provided" with an outer insulating covering 13; Air enters:

the topthereof and the dry air is discharged through the casing through a tangential outlet pipe "I5 connected to the casing adjacent its maximum diameter portion.

Extending'vertically" into the bottom of the casing is a vapor outlet conduit l 6 which tapers upwardlyand is preferably open at its upper end. The conduit Iii is formed with a series of louvers I1 opening inthedirection of air travel toscoop vapors into the conduit. The conduit connects} with a pipe IB- controlled by a valve is which maybe operated in any desired manner as bya solenoid 2!] to regulate the amount of'vapor's Withdrawn" from the casing.

Condensate or liquid particles thrown out against the casing inner wall by centrifugal force; will" be'collected' in troughs 21; extending spirally downward along the casing wall and opening into the conduit IE to deliver the condensate thereto.

In operation of the apparatus, air entering through the tangential inlet pipe M will be caused to whirl in the casing traveling toward the outlet in a substantially spiral path. The air will be cooled by contact with the casing walls to condense at least a part of the water vapor carried thereby and the condensate will be collected in the troughs 2| and will flow down through the troughs to discharge into the conduit I6. The lighter dry vapors which are not condensed by cooling of the air will travel to the center of the casing and will be scooped up by the louvers I! to be discharged with the collected condensate through the conduit I6 and the discharge pipe 18. Therefore, the air flowing through the outlet pipe l5 will be substantially free of moisture either in the form of wet or dry vapor.

For normal operation the velocity of the incoming air should be at least feet per second and may be as high as 500 feet per second. The actual rotational speed of the air in the casing may exceed the inlet velocity by a. substantial amount inasmuch as the air is moving in a confined and forced vortex and the velocities developed will depend upon the difference between energy put in and energy taken out and energy absorbed in friction. In this way a substantial separation of the air and the lighter dry vapors can be effected at inlet velocities as low as 100 feet per second.

Thus, by the use of the present apparatus, air may be quickly and effectively dehumidified With- 1. Air treating apparatus comprisin a hollow casing of substantially circular section unobstructed in its interior adjacent its periphery, a tangential air inlet for the casing to cause air to whirl in a vortex therein, a tangential air outlet for the casing spaced from the air inlet, means to cool the casing to condense a portion of the moisture carried by the air, means adjacent the periphery of the casing to collect condensate thrown. from the air by centrifugal force, and an outlet conduit for dry vapors extending axiallythrough the casing substantially from end to end thereof and being perforated throughout its length. A

2. Air treating apparatus comprising a vertically elongated casing of substantially circular horizontal. section, a tangential air inlet adjacent the'top of the casing, a tangential air outlet for the casing below the inlet, means to cool the casing to condense a portion of the -moisture in the air, condensate collecting troughs on the inside of the casing, and a conduit extending vertically through the bottom of the casing to re,- move dry vapor, the condensate collecting troughs discharging into the conduit.

3. Air treating apparatus comprising a hollow casing of circular section tapering in diameter from one end toward the other, a tangential air inlet opening into the casing adjacent its smaller end, a tangential air outlet opening into the casing adjacent its larger end, condensate collecting troughs extending spirally along the inner wall of the casing to collect condensate thrown out by the air, and an outlet conduit for dry vapor extending axially into the casing and being perforated throughout its length, the condensate collecting troughs discharging into said outlet conduit.

7 4. The method of dehumidifying air containing water vapor which comprises causing the air to whirl in 'a confined space, separately drawing off condensate and a portion of the air substantially free from water vapor from the periphery of the space, and separately drawing off the remainder of the air and substantially all of the watervapor from the center of the space.

. ADIEL Y. DODGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file'of this patent: UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES,

Beams, fCorlcentration of Isotopes; Physical Review, Aug. 1, 1939, 56, pages 266-272. 

